roversfan99

I know we are talking about a squad player. My point is pretty clear. Wont be able to get quite as good as the main 2. But its not a case of, well we cant get someone is good so it doesnt matter how bad he is. Baker was reasonable cover, not as good as the main 2 but still a solid player. Forshaw is not good enough to provide reasonable cover. Had we signed Jason Lowe for the role, you could still use your argument. As if you are saying, it doesnt matter how bad he is, we arent going to get as good as Tronstad or Travis and hes a squad player so why does it matter.

If we want pace and zero footballing ability surely our recruitment should go to athletics. Hes a donkey. No one said we could get someone on par with Travis and Tronstad. Like with Baker, there will be a downgrade. But he was a Championship standard, decent downgrade. Its the level of the downgrade to Forshaw that is the issue.

Elliott Jackson isnt automatically right on all opinions and Dunn thinks Sinclair Armstrong would be a good signing so best to take his opinions with a pinch of salt. If we are reliant on either or both of the 2 that started today until Tronstad is back, then our strongest part of the team for half a season becomes much weaker. Gueye has definitely played much better in the last 2 games but he needs to start scoring to really be seen as up to it. Hold up play was very good. We are seeing why the timing as well as the quality of signings are important. These 3 poor losses in winnable games edge us closer to the pack of mid table mediocrity.

Sanderson summed himself up on Tuesday when his first touch took the ball 10 yards in front of him. He smashed into the tackle but really it was a tackle he should never have had to make. Compared to other centre backs who are much calmer, and obviously I appreciate hes not played for a while so is rusty, but he seems so much more rash. The midfield isnt the sole reason why we lost but its just not of the necessary quality never mind for the top 6 but potentially even as Championship midfielders. Buckley dawdles on the ball, that nearly cost us first half and he just doesnt have the speed of thought to play on the half turn. He also regularly just plays it into touch, often unforced. He does the odd bit of neat and tidy play but especially as a deeper midfielder he isnt up to it. Forshaw I thought was better than Buckley but still not good enough. Some of Gueye's hold up really was very impressive but he doesnt bust a gut to get into the box, he just admires his initial work. He lacks that strikers instinct. I think a lot of his hold up was wasted by a lack of pace and quality around him though.

Terrible first half, huffed and puffed in tbe second before the inevitable sucker punch. Midfield is a big issue, Buckley is terrible, nowhere near up to it. Forshaw was marginally better but obviously isnt good enough. Gueye did some really good hold up yet again but its wasted without any pace or quality around him. Obviously didnt score again and when he lays it off he doesnt show enough urgency to get into goalscoring positions. But overall another display to build on. Dolan needs to be sold, Weimann invisible aside from his goal which sums him up really, he at least has the knack of getting into goalscoring positions. Not impressed by Sanderson who is rash and poor on the ball. Subs made too late, a good run and cross from ACD aside, little impact. Obviously need players but even with them, for all the talk about its ONLY about quality, it feels like we have forfeited a number of games and we will just drop down into a bunch of mid table teams that we arent far from.

Can see why he didnt last long as a manager.

Really poor performance and lucky and grateful to be drawing. Buckley has been really bad, hasnt got the ability to take the ball on the half turn. Forshaw a passenger. Sanderson hasnt impressed me at all, terrible on the ball and a walking red card. Pears poor for the goal but great save at the end.

Hes been talking about signing players on top of a striker and winger including a left back and experienced player to replace McFadzean. Does he know we only have 2 places?

I would have to disagree. He had that half season when we finished 7th after he got back into the team when he wss our best player, drifting into midfield granted but starting at right back. When he moved to midfield I thought he often gets lost in there.

JRC was great under JDT but at right back. A mixture of injuries and using him as a utility man really has caused him to regress since Tomasson left. I dont think Buckley ran the game by any means on Tuesday either. I also think him and Travis wont balance well as the latter has benefitted from the balance he has nt to Tronstad and Buckley I dont think can provide that.

I dont think Buckley was very good either to be honest. You really notice the difference between someone like Tronstad who gets it and plays it on efficiently and Buckley who lacks the intelligence and takes too many touches each time he gets the ball. I dont think hes capable of playing that deeper midfield role effectively as he also doesnt protect the defence.

Forshaw didnt play in the first half. He came on at half time and was crap.

The registration situation hasnt been mentioned by Eustace when talking about signings so you do wonder especially with our club if they are aware if it. Forshaw is even more of a poor signing considering he takes up a space but we still need a midfielder quite desperately. Our current position is reliant obviously on that run of 6 consecutive wins but its clearly based on how organised we have been based around a core of experienced players. Tronstad has been for me as important as anyone being as good as most in the league at protecting a defencr, you go from him to Forshaw or even Buckley and your strength becomes your weakness. Sigurdsson is no use to us and there are others in there that offer no value to the team really, Hilton is another. Can you really see any of them being eased out or if push comes to shove, not registered? My guess is we will sign 2 and say we cant register anyone else. Probably a striker on loan and this winger from Serie B.

Bamford just seems an unwise option on many levels. He would have to presumably be a loan with 18 months left on his deal and I dont see how financially it would work considering his massive wages. He is currently injured and has become injury prone in general. And he is a shadow of the player who after a nomadic start to his career had that 2 year prime when he earnt his England call up. He hasnt scored all season and he misses as many chances as anyone, his goal return in general in these last 3 and a half seasons is very uninspiring.

You said "one quality striker gets us in the play offs" hence my question, baring in mind those strikers are ones you think are of the correct quality.

Ok so it was Elliott Jackson that prompted it. We do need sellable assets either way. Say we sign Thomas Asante/Brown/Riis/Robinson permanently and no one else. No winger, no left back, no midfielder. Are you happy with that window and do we make top 6?

Fair play for finally upping the standards in terms of some cheap no marks not being up to it and demanding some money spent and making it clear that if not, we wont make the play offs. But we are not solely a striker away from being in the play offs. Not good enough out wide or in midfield, they need addressing too. Youve been very keen to stress that its all about this season but now you are showing concern for a lack of assets. Is it Elliott Jackson that has caused this sudden u-turn?

Frightening team. Where is Beck?

Have you ever seen these players play?

He scored against us but hes not a particularly good Championship player. Another plodder.

St Johnstone fans would seemingly drive him down. Thankfully not the most reliable of sources!

Amazing how context less emojis from anonymous twitter accounts get people so excited.

Obviously quality is the thing you have to prioritise. Im just saying that timing still has some importance aswell. We have some other non performers in there who I would happily sacrifice if it meant getting what we need. And obviously its about what anyone does here.

If we signed a random player in Serie B would you not be concerned considering you have echoed that Eustace wants Championship experience throughout this window that it clearly wouldnt be a Eustace signing? When you have such a limited budget and prioritise domestic experience then you are likely going to get someone who is sat on the bench and/or past his best. Bamford wont be coming here as his wages are extortionate. Players like Thomas Asante and maybe someone like Jacob Brown would also probably be beyond us but even if you got someone of that ilk, they arent natural goalscorers and struggle for game time at clubs lower down the table. Riis seems to be second choice to Osmajic and has struggled to score many goals since a serious injury and Robinson will be too important to Cardiff. If we go for a young lad on loan it is a bit depressing. Danns has barely played senior football. Scarlett has just been recalled having found it impossible to play at Oxford ahead of a striker who hasnt scored for ages, he would be bottom of the barrel. If we have even a couple of million, the choices are to go for someone like BTA/Brown (not necessarily those 2) who isnt going to score that many but is an upgrade on what we have and you know what you are getting. Or take a risk abroad where you do then have a chance of finding someone with a higher ceiling but also know theres a chance he could flop. So risk and reward. The first option is 3 on a dice, you could roll a 6 or a 1 if you think outside the box. If we go for a young lad on loan on top of a Serie B winger (who has struggled to replicate his Serie C) and/or fail to also get someone in to help to cover the Tronstad void, then we clearly arent serious and wont have the capability to be in the top 6 reckoning. It will all come down to money and it is hard to have any optimism that we will get what we need. Buy a striker, buy a winger, loan a midfielder and loan a left back should be the order of the day.

If we lose at the weekend with our depleted squad, it would further highlight how its not just a case of getting the right players in. It would be 3 losses on the bounce.